British Council Signature Event: English Medium Instruction: Cure or Curse?

This British Council signature event discusses some of the issues surrounding the growth in popularity of EMI.

About the session

While English Medium Instruction (EMI) in education systems has been the norm in former British colonies for many years, recent years have seen large growth in EMI in many other countries around the world. Universities from Italy to Indonesia, from Rwanda to Kazakhstan, rush to teach more and more courses in English medium, driven by the desire to recruit international students and to prepare home students for an international future. At school level EMI is popular not only in the traditional private sector, but is finding its way into public educational systems. What are the driving forces behind this? Is this trend inevitable in the long-term, and a good thing? When is EMI appropriate and how can it be made successful? Who are the winners and the losers, in terms of people and languages? This session will surface some political and educational issues and controversies, drawing on the views of an expert panel, with ample time for contributions from the floor.

Panellists: Jennifer Jenkins (University of Southampton, UK), Naz Rassool (University of Reading, UK), Y.L. Teresa Ting (University of Calabria, Italy), Eddie Williams (Bangor University, UK)

Facilitator: John Knagg OBE (British Council)

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